Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced legislation to be tabled this week giving the government full ownership of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant after talks with Chinese owner Jingye failed to produce an acceptable commercial sale, 13 months after the state seized operational control to keep its blast furnaces — the United Kingdom's last virgin-steel capacity — from being shut down. The move, framed as protecting 2,700 direct jobs and the rail, construction and automotive supply chain, is subject to a public-interest test covering national security, critical national infrastructure and the economy. Support is set to reach £615 million ($836 million) by June, with government spending running at about £1 million a day; the National Audit Office has warned outlays could exceed £1.5 billion by 2028.

UK government bonds weakened on Monday as political uncertainty mounted over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership. The yield on the 10-year gilt rose 8 basis points to 4.52%, while the pound fell 0.6% against the dollar. The sell-off comes amid reports of a potential leadership challenge within the Labour Party.

The UK, EU, and Canada on May 11 imposed coordinated sanctions targeting Russian individuals and entities involved in the systematic deportation, forced assimilation, and militarization of Ukrainian children. The UK sanctioned 85 individuals and organizations, including the Warrior Centre and 49 employees of the Social Design Agency, while the EU sanctioned 16 individuals and seven entities, and Canada sanctioned 23 individuals and five entities. The measures were announced at a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in Brussels.

Ivan Jennings, 46, from Stafford, pleaded guilty to encouraging terrorism between 15 August and 14 November 2024 at Leicester Crown Court on Monday. The prosecutor said Jennings had called for “killing migrants when they arrive on their boats” and discussed molotov cocktails. He had previously admitted dissemination of a terrorism publication related to Anders Breivik's manifesto.

E.On has announced plans to acquire Ovo Energy for up to £600 million, pending regulatory approval. The merger would create one of Britain's largest energy suppliers with approximately 9.6 million customers, vying with Octopus for the top spot. Consumer groups urge Ovo customers not to panic, assuring that existing tariffs and service will be honored. The deal reflects consolidation in the UK energy market, aiming to bring stability and investment capacity while potentially reducing consumer choice. E.On's COO Marc Spieker cited the UK as a key growth market for energy flexibility and electrification, while Ovo founder Stephen Fitzpatrick described the deal as the right step for customers and the zero-carbon transition. The Unison union expressed concerns about potential job impacts.

Four Palestine Action activists—Leona Kamio, Samuel Corner, Fatema Rajwani, and Charlotte Head—were convicted of criminal damage for a raid on an Elbit Systems plant near Bristol in August 2024, causing £1 million damage; one activist was also convicted of grievous bodily harm for striking a police officer with a sledgehammer. Following their convictions, they were immediately remanded to prison pending sentencing on 12 June, despite having been on bail since February after 18 months in pre-trial detention. The judge cited substantial grounds to believe they would reoffend, as their closing speeches indicated they still felt morally justified. Their lawyers and families condemned the decision, noting the defendants had not breached bail conditions. Two co-defendants, Jordan Devlin and Zoe Rogers, were acquitted of criminal damage. The trial was marked by restrictions on discussing the Gaza conflict and a contempt of court case against defense counsel Rajiv Menon KC for his closing speech in the first trial.

A Birmingham jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges against Palestinian activist Majid Freeman (also known as Majid Novsarka) for allegedly supporting Hamas and encouraging terrorism through social media posts on X and Instagram in 2023 and 2024. The court ordered a retrial set for September 2027. Freeman's defense argued his posts focused on Palestinian resistance and raising awareness of the Gaza genocide.

Ralph Gonsalves, former prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, stated that reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade must be a central topic at the next Commonwealth heads of government meeting. He cited growing momentum from Caribbean and African nations, following the UK's abstention from a UN resolution on chattel slavery. The issue was a major point of contention at the previous summit in 2024.